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Osmoprotectants and cryoprotectants for Listeria monocytogenes
Author(s) -
Bayles D. O.,
Wilkinson B. J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2000.00646.x
Subject(s) - listeria monocytogenes , cryoprotectant , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , osmoprotectant , listeria , bacteria , food science , biochemistry , cryopreservation , genetics , embryo , amino acid , proline
D.O. BAYLES and B.J. WILKINSON.2000. Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can grow in high osmotic strength environments and at refrigeration temperatures. Glycine betaine, proline betaine, acetylcarnitine, carnitine, γ‐butyrobetaine and 3‐dimethylsulphoniopropionate all acted as osmoprotectants, as evidenced by an increase in growth rate of L. monocytogenes 10403S and Scott A when provided with these compounds, while being stressed in defined medium containing 0·7 m NaCl. These same compounds exhibited cryoprotective activity, as evidenced by increasing the growth rate of L. monocytogenes at 5 °C. Ectoine, hydroxy ectoine, pipecolic acid and proline were ineffective as osmoprotectants or cryoprotectants under these conditions. The presence of osmoprotectants and cryoprotectants in foods may provide compounds assisting L. monocytogenes to overcome the barriers of high osmotic strength and low temperature that otherwise control microbial growth.